[17] On January 14 the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Council adopted the one year residency rule for the sports of football, basketball, baseball and track beginning in the fall of 1916.

Heil, Collins, Ward, Hanley, Cliff Morrow and Dillon are all lost from the 1914 backfield, while Smith, Reese, Jones and Healy are among those missing from the line and end positions.

"[26] The University of Pittsburgh Athletic Council published the seventy-six page Sixth Annual Football Year Book for use as the 1915 game day program.

"[32] Richard Guy of The Gazette Times was impressed: "The University of Pittsburgh inaugurated its 1915 gridiron season yesterday afternoon at Forbes Field by beating Westminster College, 32 to 0, and sent a large crowd of local patrons away from the park well pleased with the article of football shown by Glenn Warner's pupils.

"[33] W. B. McVicker of The Pittsburg Press added: "For strategic reasons, Glenn Warner called upon many of his reservists and 15 of these warriors received their first baptism of fire among the chalk-marked trenches...A fair-sized, but highly enthusiastic crowd of noncombatants witnessed the fray from the grandstand and bleachers, while the newly constructed stands on either side of the field were filled with noisy camp followers who endeavored to shatter their opponents' army with terrific and well rehearsed yells.

"[38] The Baltimore Sun put it bluntly: "The husky Midshipmen found themselves powerless to check Pittsburgh's scoring machine and as a result they were walloped in the annual game here this afternoon by a count of 47 to 12.

"[39] Richard Guy of The Gazette Times lauded Pitt: "The University of Pittsburgh football forces swept the Midshipmen aside in a whirlwind fashion this afternoon, and gave the Navy one of its most crushing defeats in history.

"The most sensational affair of the whole game was staged when "Jimmie" DeHart caught a kick off five yards behind his own goal line and with perfect interference streaked the entire length of the field for a touchdown.

Even at the end of the match with Pitt 35 points ahead, the sailors fought back the visitors' approach and recovered a fumble in the very last second's of play on their one yard line.

"[45] Richard Guy of The Gazette Times gave the usual laudatory report: "The Carlisle Indians were defeated by the representatives of the University of Pittsburgh in their annual football game yesterday afternoon on the Forbes Field gridiron by the lopsided score of 45 to 0.

That village's mightiest braves, all men of valor, were given the trouncing of their lives yesterday afternoon at Forbes Field by Pitt's paleface pigskin pushers, the final score being 45–0.

Never before in the history of the Carlisle School did Uncle Sam's proteges receive such an unmerciful beating as handed them yesterday, and never before were the redskins so anxious to make a good showing.

Before crossing his opponent's goal line the local leader was compelled to travel through the entire Indian lineup, which he did in a manner that stamps him as one of the best open-field runners who has ever worn the Gold and Blue.

[3][47] "When Pitt lines up against Penn it will not have its strongest array on the field, for three of the most promising one-year men on the team who have been starring, will be kept out because of the one year residence rule, which will be in force against the Quakers.

[49] On October 22 at 12:01 p.m. the Pitt football team departed from Union Station accompanied by "coaches, trainers managers, alumni and students sufficient to fill a special train.

"[52] Robert W. Maxwell of the Evening Ledger opined: "When it is considered that Pitt came here with a well-trained and well-coached team, the men on edge to play the game of their lives to beat Penn, the performance of the Red and Blue is all the more remarkable.

"[4] The Pittsburgh Press summed it up best with the sub-headline: "Coach Warner's Men Fail to Play Their Best Game, But Gain Easy Decision Over Pennsylvania Eleven."

W. B. McVicker reported: "Opposed to a team which the football critics of the country conceded to be one of the most formidable in the land, the Quaker City lads put up a battle that was worth traveling miles to witness.

Pitt has proved itself a worthy foe, and one which can attract the spectators, and there is no reason why this game cannot be made a great event between eastern and western Pennsylvania each season.

On November 6, the Red and Black of Washington & Jefferson College led by coach Bob Folwell and sporting a 5–0–1 record arrived at Forbes Field to try and defeat the Pitt eleven for the 12th time in 16 tries.

[65] Ralph S. Davis of The Pittsburg Press noted: "While 35,000 frenzied enthusiasts yelled themselves hoarse, the University of Pittsburgh yesterday at Forbes Field won the football championship of Western Pennsylvania, defeating W. & J's strong eleven by the decisive score of 19–0.

"[7] Florent Gibson with The Pittsburgh Sunday Post showed his usual flair: "After three arid years, Pitt's cup of joy is filled to the brim and running over.

[71] "Pitt will be minus the services of tackle (Claude) Thornhill and fullback (Ted) Fry today, and, though their places will be filled by acceptable men, it is feared that the substitutions may throw the machine a trifle out of gear."

After the Wash-Jeff game, it is natural that there should be a let down, "but the supporters are firm in their belief that Warner will have some special treatment, well adapted to the foiling of Tech's ambition up his sleeve for this afternoon's imbroglio, and will bring his eleven off victorious.

"[9] W. B. McVicker of The Pittsburgh Press gushed: "Outclassed and outplayed in every department of the game, out fighting for every inch of ground, Carnegie Tech's gridiron warriors went down to defeat, 28 to 0, yesterday afternoon at Forbes Field before Glenn Warner's Pitt eleven, conceded to be one of the strongest football teams in the United States, today.

"[9] The Gazette Times reported: "The offense of the Carnegie Tech team was not strong enough to cope with the defense of the Pitt representatives yesterday afternoon at Forbes Field and the result was that the Plaid was beaten in its annual football game with the Gold and Blue, 28 to 0.

[9][72] On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1915, the University of Pittsburgh football team was playing for the Championship of Pennsylvania and possibly the National Title against the once beaten Penn State Nittany Lions led by first year coach Dick Harlow.

[77] The Gazette Times noted: "If Pitt comes through with a win this afternoon the University will be permanent possessor of the Spalding Trophy, which has been won by the Blue and Gold during the past two years.

At the conclusion of the game yesterday at Forbes Field Dick Harlow, the Penn State coach, sought out Floyd Rose in the Pitt dressing room, and said: "My team played just as well today as it did at Harvard.

"[84] "From the first to last, from the time Collingswood and his assistants left Pittsburgh, late in August, to get Camp Hamilton in shape to receive visitors, to that last day in November when the Blue and Gold athletes followed "Chalky" (Williamson) off the gridiron, the 1915 season was a thing of beauty and a joy forever.